JB/015/400/001

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78

We are thus naturally led to Inquiry as to the the best
means of giving to the mind mastery over its own thoughts. If
it possess the power of banishing thoughts of pain & introducing
thoughts of pleasure, how can that power be exercised with
most effect? and The most obvious means are to divert the
mind from the painful thoughts themselves that [are painful, – and from the objects
associated with those thoughts; – and on the other hand
to occupy it with thoughts that] are pleasurable &
with objects likely to awaken pleasurable thoughts. The expulsion
of the one & the introduction of the other are in truth
closely allied for it unless some thought of pleasure is
at hand to take place of the thought of pain which
exertion may have has ejected little will may be won for happiness.
Enough will not be done by the mere attempt at forcing
an annoying thought to vacate the mind, – it will infallibly
be supplanted by another thought, and the balance of
happiness will be between the efforts of the thought which
enters & that which makes its exit.

In many cases as in cases of annoyance from
objects of a the corporal class – a man may employ direct
means – he may remove the object itself, – or remove himself
from its presence. When the fatal apple was presented
to Eve; Eve might have turned her back upon it, – or have made
a present of it to an attendant pig the first frugivorous
quadruped that crossed her path.

But it is not thus with impressions
underived from physical objects, – with ideas presented by
memory or imagination. A man can employ no
direct means for getting rid of these. He has but one way
of ridding himself & that an indirect one. He must
detach his mind thoughts from the idea he desires to expel by
attaching it them to some idea of a different nature. Until
he can do this his object must be thwarted, for the continuance
of the endeavor to get rid of the unpleasant idea until he has
hold of some object to replace it, will but keep the unpleasant idea
constantly present and more prominently in view.

Identifier: | JB/015/400/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	015	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	400	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f78
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	<…> co
Marginals		Paper Producer	a. levy
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5616
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